Page 56 of The Thief

“You’re deplorable. I’m not talking about this with you.”

Virgil dropped to his knees and clasped his hands in a prayerlike gesture. “Please, please, please. You have to give me something. I swear on Chastity I won’t tell anyone.”

“Your cat tattoo? That’s not good enough.”

“Come on, Shortcake. You can’t wave a juicy steak in front of me like that without offering a tiny morsel. Just a little more detail, and I swear to the fates I’ll keep my lips sealed.”

I really didn’t want to give Virgil fantasy ideas for his lonely nights at home, but the veiled threat in his promise made me change my mind. “Bear has stamina.”

His shoulders sagged, and he dropped his hands to his lap. “That’s it? Could you be more vague?”

“Four times.”

His eyes lit up. “I knew it,” he whispered. “Once is regret. Four times is?—”

“Any coffee left?” Robyn shuffled into the kitchen in her plaid pajamas. When she saw Virgil kneeling in front of me, she gave us a quizzical stare.

Virgil plucked a piece of cereal off the floor and stood. “Found it.” He popped it into his mouth and sauntered off but not before winking at me while rounding the corner.

After a sleepy yawn, Robyn said, “Sorry if Montana woke you up. He wanted to give Archer a shooting lesson. I warned him it was too early, but you know men. They don’t have any patience.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and drank it black. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Sure.”

“You might want to touch up those dark circles under your eyes before going to work.” She blew the steam on her coffee. “I’m helping Montana with the fence today. Luna was good about staying in the field, but we need to finish it. If that horse gets out, we’re toast. I don’t know anything about horses. Do you?”

Only the stallion I rode last night, I thought. The rim of my cup hovered at my lips as I remembered every delicious detail. Bear and I had made love a second time before I fell asleep. Hours had passed by the time I woke up, tucked beneath his arm. My soft kisses on his chest stirred him awake, and we filled our night with passion. It wasn’t just sex; Bear and I connected on a deeper level that I couldn’t put into words.

“Earth to Mercy.” Robyn waved her hand in front of my face. “You should take a nap before you go in to work.”

“All I need is a little fuel in my belly.”

The house rumbled as if a bomb had dropped.

“Was that thunder?” I asked. It was cloudy outside but not especially dark.

The moment the words left my lips, rain sprayed the kitchen window.

“Time to batten down the hatches.” I set my coffee on the counter. “I’ll make sure the windows are closed. You should get Catcher and Bear inside before they get muddy. I’m not sure who else is out there.”

We jumped at another thunderclap.

She set down her coffee. “I’ll go see.”

Living in Arkansas had prepared me for storms. Strong winds and hail could do serious damage, but tornadoes posed a bigger threat. At least we had a cellar, but that didn’t slow me down from checking all the windows in the house. Torrential rain hammered against the roof, and the windows rattled with every crash of thunder.

Mist from the rain sprayed me in the face when I stepped onto the porch and checked on the vehicles. There was nothing we could do to protect them from hail.

An animal flashed across the clearing on the right, but the heavy rain created a veil.

Running back inside, I struggled to close the door as the wind whistled through the crack. “It’s a gully washer out there!”

Virgil jogged down the stairs, now dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans. He joined me in the living room. “Who offended the gods? It sounds like someone pissed off Thor.”

Montana stormed into the house from the back hall, water dripping off his black hat. Entering the empty living room, he cursed under his breath. “Hurry up, Bear!”

I clutched the front of my nightie. “What’s going on?”

“I let the horse out just before the storm hit,” he replied, on edge. “When it started raining, I went out to lead her back to the stable, but the thunder spooked her.”

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